Nut-lock.



PATBNTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

C. P. DYBR.

NUT LOCK.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov.4,19o4.

WITNEEIEEE- fam/f @LLM/- CHARLES IJ. DYER, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed November 4, 1904. S'erial lio. 231,345.

Be it known that I, CHARLES I). Dran, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a i'esident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented cei'tain Improvements inNut-Locks, of which the following' is a specification.

The invention i'elates to nut-locks, iiioi'e particularly for use .inconnection with nuts for vehicle-axles or the like, wliei'e the wheel orpulley tui'ns upon an axle and is held in place by a nut.

The in'veiition is an improvement upon prior consti'uctions in which theend of the axle is chambered and a plug' therein is held in engagementwith the nut by a spring'.

Heretofoi'e there has been desci'ibed an axle and nut each with aclianibei' rectangular in cross-section and a rectangular plug' to fitthem; but such a construction is too expensive 'for successful practicaluse; also, a cylindrical cliainbei' in the axle and a cylindrical plug'with a pin tlii'oug'li a hole in the axle and a slot in the plug' toprevent its turning' in the cliambei'. This construction also haspi'aetical disadvantag'es, for the pin is liable to bind in the hole inthe axle, which will make it difficult to remove and when removed willeasily be lost.

My improvements consist in the peculiarities of construction of thechamber in the end of the axle, of the plug' therefor, and other novelfeatures of pai'ts combined therewith, as hereinafter described, andparticularly specified in the claims.

ln the drawings forming' a pai't of this specification, Fig'iire l showsthe end of a vehicle-axle with the outer end thereof and the axle-nut insection to expose my improved construction. Fig'. 2 is a cross sectiontlii'oug'h the nut and axle on line Q, Q, Fig'. 1. Fig'. 3 is a planview of the nut removed looking' into the recess. Fig'. 4 is the spring'i'emoved from the axle-chamber. Fig. 5 is the plug', and Fig'. 6 is ascrew with a large head to be screwed into the oiitei' end of the plug'and sei've as one form of the means by which the plug' is prevented fromaccidental separation fi'om the nut when the latter is removed from theaxle.

Referring' to the di'awing's, A is an axle or shaft; B, the nut adaptedto be sci'ewed upon the end of the axle. C is the cylindricalclianibei', bored long'itudinally into the end of the axle. At the outerend of this chamber one or inoi'e grooves ry are foi'iiied in the wingsR to eng'ag'e and slide in the grooves ,(7.

j' is the frusto-eonical end of the plug', which fits into acorrespondingly -tapered hole e through the bottom of recess (Z of thenut B. In the i'eiiiaining' annular poi'tion of the bottom of the recessl a plurality of notches n ai'e foi'nied. Eight such notches are shown;but any less number may be employed with practical success. Theiiunibei' of notches determine the subdivisions of the longitudinaladjustments of the nut upon the axle in each complete rotation of thenut. /z/ is a shallow chamber counterbored in the end of the nutopposite to the tapered hole 1, the diameter of which cliainbei' is sufliciently larg'e to loosely fit ovei' the outer end of theiiiitlii'eaded pai't of the axle, so that the nut B may be screwed on alittle farther from time to time as needed to Ltake up the wear of theaxleboxes. This feature obviates the expense and trouble of cutting' offthe extreme end of the axle, turning down the shoulder, and cutting'additional screw-threads at the inner end of the threaded poi'tioii,which is the usual method heretofore employed for coinpensating' for thewear of the axle-boxes. S is the spring' within the axle-chaiiiber C,and the means illustrated for preventing' accidental displacement orejection of the spring from the cliambei' consists in laying' the wireof the spring' at one end in a close coil s and cutting' a thread in theinner end of the chamber to correspond with the pitch of this close coiland then screwing' the coil into it. This isa convenient andcomparatively inexpensive way of accomplishing' the result; but I do notconfine my claim to this speeilic means. T is a screw with a headlai'g'ei' than the hole c in the bottom of the recess in the nut B,which screw is tui'ned into a hole tapped in the fi'ustoconical end ofthe plug' I), and its lai'g'e head will prevent the plug' fi'omdropping' from the nut B when the latter is removed fi'oiii the axle.These safety devices will be found of g'reat utility and convenience inthe practical use of nut-locks of this character. The frustoconical endupon the plug' and the corresponding'ly-tapered seat tliei'efoi' in thenut form a joint which practically completely excludes dust. Thecylindi'ical chamber in the axle can be easily and economically drilled,even in old axles, and a convenient and economical way of forming' theg'rooves in the side of the IIO chamber is by drilling a small holeparallel with the chamber and partly cutting into it and then with arectangular punch remove the superfluous metal at the opening into thechamber to form such rectangular grooves as are illustrated. The shapeof the plug permits it to be drop-forged, and thereby produced ready foruse Without further operation upon it, and the entire construction of myimproved nut-lock is a simplification of the several parts and greatconvenience and economy in the manufacture.

The diameter of the counterbored chamber L in the nut should be made tocorrespond with the diameterv of the unthreaded portion of the axle atthe limit of its screw-threaded portion. At the present time -it isusual to have a shoulder on the axle at this point, against which vtheaxle-nut is screwed up tightly; butI by the use of my improvements noshoulder on the axle is needed, and the nut is securely held againstaccidental turning'in any position on the threaded part of the axle.

As Will be readily understood, by pressing upon the head of the screw Tthe plug P can be moved inward and the ends of the Wings R disengagedfrom the notches vz., when the nutB can be easily turned in eitherdirection.

I claiml. In combination with a screw-threaded axle, or the like, whichis provided with a recessed nut, a nut-lock consisting of a cylindricallongitudinal chamber in the end of the axle, having one or morelongitudinal grooves at its outer end, a cylindrical plug with wings orribs to engage and slide within the groovcd chamber, a plurality ofnotches in the bottom of the recess of the nut, Vand a spring in thechamber to hold the ribs of the plug, normally in engagement with saidnotches.

2. In combination with a screw-threaded ber in the end thereof, With oneor more longitudinal grooves in the side of the chamber along its outerportion, a cylindrical plug with longitudinal Wings or ribs to engageand slide Within the grooved chamber, are'cessed nut adapted to screwupon the end of the axle, and provided with a plurality of notches inthe bottom of its recess, a spring' in the axlechamber to keep the ribsof the plug norm ally in engagement with such notches, a frustoconicalend to the plug and a correspondinglyshaped hole therefor in the nut.

3. In combination with a screw-threaded axle or rod, which is providedwith a recessed nut, acylindrical longitudinal chamber in the end of theaxle, a plurality of notches in the bottom of the nut-recess, a slidingplug in the chamber adapted to engage the sides thereof and the notchesin the nut-recess, a spring in the axle-cham ber to hold the plugnormally in engagement With the notches in the nut, and means at theinner end of the chamber to secure the spring against accidentaldisplacement When the plug is removed.

4. A lock for the nut of an axle or the like, consisting of alongitudinal' chamber in the end of the axle, a recessed nut for theaxle having notches in thebottom of the recess, a sliding plug' in theaxle-chamber with means to engage the sides of the chamber and thenotches in the nut, and a means to prevent separation of the plugand'nut, When the nut is removed.

In combination with a screw-'threaded axle, a nut provided With acounterbored chamber at its inner end to overlap the unthreaded end ofthe axle, and means to hold the nut against accidental rotation after itis in engagement with the threaded portion ol the axle.

CHARLES P. DYER.

WVitnesses:

F. A. CoLLINs, R. L. ROBERTS.

